Apple's US Samsung lawsuit expands to 8 patents and names 17 products

Apple's US lawsuit against Samsung in far larger than originally reported, specifically naming 13 smartphones, two media players and two tablets, and encompasses twice as many patents as were revealed in the company's parallel bid for a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Nexus.

Apple's request for a preliminary injunction on sales of Samsung's Android 4.0 Galaxy Nexus, as reported last week, was based on four patents, two of which have been asserted previously including one that successfully awarded Apple an injunction against the US import of infringing HTC phones.

However, after reviewing Apple's full complaint against Samsung, FOSS Patents writer Florian Muller reports that, in addition to the preliminary injunction, Apple's suit also targets a total of 17 Samsung products with a total of 8 patent claims.

Twice the patents

The four additional patents Apple is asserting in the wider lawsuit include U.S. Patent No. 6,847,959, "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system," which describes an invention that delivers relevant search by intelligently narrowing down results, relevant both to Spotlight search and Siri.

A second new patent, United States Patent: 8014760, named "Missed telephone call management for a portable multifunction device," was filed in 2007 alongside the release of the original iPhone. It describes an interface for presenting relevant contact information and other callback options after an incoming call is missed.

A third patent, also filed in 2007, is U.S. Patent No. 7,761,414, "Asynchronous data synchronization amongst devices," relates to software that enables users to continue working with data, such as calendar items, contacts or bookmarks, while a device is actively syncing.

The fourth additional patent, United States Patent: 5666502, "Graphical user interface using historical lists with field classes," was filed in 1995 and relates to intelligently presenting selectable items in a list after the user begins entering a selection.

Originally developed for use with Apple's Newton Message Pad, the patent also seems to relate to predictive search, leading Mueller to observe, "If Apple enforced this one successfully against Chrome, it might create serious problems for Google."

To explain why Apple is asserting four patents in its preliminary injunction but a total of eight in its overall case, Mueller writes, "for the preliminary injunction bid, Apple had to focus on patents that can succeed on the fast track, where the judge only has limited time to understand a patent and the parties' related arguments."

17 Samsung devices on trial

While Apple's preliminary injunction targeted the Galaxy Nexus, Samsung's Android 4.0 launch vehicle created in a closed partnership with Google, its broader lawsuit names 17 products, although its patent claims aren't limited only to the devices specifically named.

Also listed in the complaint are two new tablets, the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus and Galaxy Tab 8.9. Apple's initial lawsuit already named previous Galaxy Tab models.

Apple stepping up its legal game

Apple's latest complaint in its battle with Samsung is regarded as involving "much stronger patents" than the company's initial litigation from last year, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramksy.

"It's also worth noting that Apple's complaint is very concise," Mueller wrote. "Last year's complaint [portrayed in the graphic above] against Samsung had a lot of (very well-crafted) narrative on Samsung's alleged copying of Apple's products. The new complaint doesn't have to repeat much of that. It basically just explains that the alleged problem has exacerbated, and brings new claims."

A few clueless people are going to whine about Apple suing too much and Apple being too much of a bully and Apple being afraid of the competition blah blah blah. If you are one of those people, then go home and play with your Android phone, go root it or something and just keep quiet.

The bottom line is that Apple has an obligation to protect it's company from predators and thieves. For Apple to let anything slide would be incredibly stupid and no intelligent person would ever do such a thing. Apple is not suing just for the hell of things. If fewer companies copied Apple, then Apple would be suing less. Apple is not the one who decides how many lawsuits there are. It is the competition who is deciding the amount of lawsuits. The more that they copy, the more that Apple will be forced to sue.

I am getting so sick of the patent dispute between Apple and Samsung. It's like watching two siblings fighting and tattling to Mom and Dad about every little thing the other is doing wrong. I hope a judge slaps both these companies on the wrist and forces them to sit down and come to an agreement. Either that, or these companies succeed in taking down the big evil that is the current patent system and forces major reform to the whole system.

Maybe that is the end game all along, to have these major tech companies fight and sue each other so much over patent infringments that business grinds to a halt and all new companies and inventions are stifled to the point of asphyxiation. Only then might we see some change to the way intellectual property and patents are handled.

Samsung's accessories have a RIDICULOUS similarity to those of Apple's. I mean, that USB cable.. really? That case.. really? It's almost as if they're purposely taunting Apple. There's no reason the USB connector has to be such a similar shape, and no other company has done this.

Not nearly as sick as I am of people like you who don't understand jack about what's really going on here.

Quote:

It's like watching two siblings fighting and tattling to Mom and Dad about every little thing the other is doing wrong.

Then don't watch.

Quote:

I hope a judge slaps both these companies on the wrist and forces them to sit down and come to an agreement.

Why? Don't you want a just settlement? Or maybe that matters less than your being somehow inconvenienced by justice taking its course.

Quote:

Either that, or these companies succeed in taking down the big evil that is the current patent system and forces major reform to the whole system.

Thanks for proving my point that you don't understand jack about what's really going on.

Quote:

Maybe that is the end game all along, to have these major tech companies fight and sue each other so much over patent infringments that business grinds to a halt and all new companies and inventions are stifled to the point of asphyxiation. Only then might we see some change to the way intellectual property and patents are handled.